Mahindra Racing, which is participating in 2015 Moto3 as a constructor, missed the podium on the opening round of the season by a near-crash.

Mapfre Team Mahindra rider Francesco Bagnaia had a good chance of stepping on the podium, in Qatar GP which concluded yesterday.The young Italian rider, Francesco Bagnaia, mounted on the all-new 2015 Mahindra MGP3O, managed to squeeze out upfront of the mighty 11-pack during the 14th lap. But unfortunately in the last / 18th lap at the Losail International Circuit, he was touched by Fabio Quartararo from team Estrella Galicia 0,0.

The 18-year old Italian rider who was in third position as the final lap started, went wide with his bright red Mahindra as a result of the accident but managed to stay on course. In the end, he finished 9th and maintained difference of just under a second behind the race winner Alexis Masbou from team Saxoprint RTG. Both riders other than Bagnaia were riding Hondas.

Second Mapfre Team Mahindra rider, Jorge Martin from Spain, was somewhat far behind Bagnaia, at 15th place, and the third Mapfre Aspar team mate Juanfran Guevara (also from Spain) was 18th (over four seconds behind Jorge Martin).